


The Third Chapter Begins

by Eliizabethx



Series: Sense8 AU [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition, Sense8 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sense8 (TV) Fusion, Because of Reasons, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, POV First Person, Sensate Cluster(s), The Anchor (Dragon Age), Universe Alteration, Verannii is not a happy camper, is painful and annoying, reasons mostly consisting of all the 'she's i'd have to keep track of, vaguely mentioned but not really described
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-30 06:23:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14490774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eliizabethx/pseuds/Eliizabethx
Summary: Verannii Lavellan wakes up in manacles with a bright green hole in her hand and is thrust into the middle of a seemingly world-ending crisis, because when has that ever gone shitty for them?Or a slight rewrite of the start of DAI for my Sense8 AU kids!





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by [@Feynite's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feynite/pseuds/Feynite) post on tumblr about a Sense8/Dragon Age crossover, found [here.](https://feynites.tumblr.com/post/162572172044/sternenstaub28-feynites-futurecatladies)
> 
> Visual aid can be found [HERE.](http://elvhenwitch.tumblr.com/post/173458764441/because-ive-finally-started-posting-sense8-au)

I was drawn from my nightmares by a sudden excruciating pain throbbing through me, my eyes open only to swiftly close again when even the dull lighting in the room makes me nauseous. I can just barely hear the others shouting, for me I think, but I can't make out their words and I can't find the energy to reach for them.

I force myself to roll off my side and onto my front, pushing myself to my hands and knees just in time to puke up what little I have in my stomach. I back away from the mess slowly, feeling hot and cold and faint and high, and just wholly _wrong_ from my ears to my toes.

I manage to carefully sit up with my legs uncomfortably folded under me, my hands braced on my knees as I pinch my eyes shut again and let my head hang.

"You feel like death warmed over, Vera."

A voice draws my head up and coaxes my eyes open, his words sound fuzzy and off, but Leo stands in front of me with a worried expression, though it's the terrified _relief_ in his eyes that catches my attention. I can't make sense of the reason as it comes through our connection though, my head seems fit to burst and I feel almost like I'm underwater.

"Don't say anything to me, we don't know who might be listening," he says quickly. "We've been so worried about you! You disappeared at the Conclave and then everything exploded, and we could feel that you were still there but we couldn't reach you."

I frown as I attempt to make sense of his words but a flaring green light and burst of pain draws both of our attentions down to my left hand, which I can now see is also manacled, in addition to the bright green _tear_ violently shifting and pulsing in my palm.

I wince and grunt, gritting my teeth against the white-hot pain _searing_ through my hand and up my arm, leaving the limb feeling almost detached from myself as my shoulder goes numb and the rest tingles and pulses, alternating between hot and excruciating.

Leo is clutching his own wrist as his yelp echoes through my head, but he stares down at my glowing hand with wide eyes. Just as he opens his mouth to say something a door I hadn't noticed on the wall in front of me slams open, making Leo jump and me flinch as the sound makes my head throb.

Four armed men come through the door and level their swords at me when I shift slightly, intending to stand. I straighten my back but stay sitting.

I can sense Leo move behind me, though I make sure not to look at him. 

A human woman with sharp features and short dark hair storms into the room with another hooded woman following behind her, the guards sheath their blades and step to the corners of the room when the door closes behind them.

I watch their movement closely as they approach, my instincts easily usurping any pain I'm in and I clear my face of any emotions. I keep my eyes on the hooded woman that steps to the front of me and intentionally don't turn my head when the dark-haired woman moves behind me, but I carefully track the sound of her steps.

As the other woman steps into the light of a torch I can see her features more clearly beneath her hood and just barely manage not to react when I recognize her. Leliana, the lay sister and bard that travelled with Siobhan all those years ago, she looks much harder and colder now than the last time we saw her in Fereldan. I take no solace in her presence here, here and now she looks much more like the bard she spoke of being once upon a time.

"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now?" The other woman asks harshly. Her Nevarran accent of all things is what finally pulls my bond out of whatever hole my pain had shoved it into, and I'm grateful when a familiar hand grasps my shoulder and I hear a more familiar accent whisper at my ear.

"We're here darling, don't worry." Her strange accent of Nevarran and Tevene washes over me and I let my chin raise a little. I don't have to look to know that my Cluster stands behind me now.

My head has cleared of the pain somewhat, bringing a sort of sharp focus to my mind and allowing me to somewhat distance myself from the pain that still throbs in my hand.

"The conclave is destroyed," the Nevarran woman continues, moving around me again until I can see her in my peripheral and I let my head turn to watch her, her hand rests on the sword at her hip and her face is pinched with a mix of anger and sorrow. "Everyone who attended is dead... Except for _you._ "

She turns back to point a finger at me, her voice cold. I stare at her hand for a moment before my eyes raise slowly to meet hers.

"She's a Seeker of Truth, the eye is their insignia," Gale says lowly from behind me.

I let her silence stand as she waits for some kind of response, and when she grows frustrated she surges forward and snatches up my glowing hand.

We all tense up in preparation of an attack, and I can vaguely sense Gale and Kasten taking in our surroundings and audience, debating how successful we might be if it came to a fight here.

"Explain this," she demands coldly, shaking my hand slightly in emphasis. The energy in my hand crackles painfully, seemingly in response to either her agitation or my own spiking stress, and I force myself not to flinch. The trial of receiving my Vallaslin gives me the wherewithal I need to let only a small frown pinch my brows and eyes from the pain.

She throws my hands down as the light continues to flare and I let my eyes watch it for a moment, before answering the human's question, my eyes raising to meet hers again before she steps out of my view.

"I can't explain what I don't know."

I focus on Leliana again as she approaches, but let my gaze fall on the door they entered through when the women start circling me like vultures.

"What do you mean you can't?" The Nevarran demands again, and I can feel Leliana's eyes on me, watching and observing.

"I don't know what this is or why it's there," I say, keeping my voice even but letting my brow fall in confusion.

"You're lying!" The Nevarran snaps, stepping up and gripping my shoulders harshly. I rock back a little but force myself not to react her provocation at Gale's quickly whispered advice.

It proves wise when Leliana pulls her away from me, pushing her back towards the door.

"We need her Cassandra!" She barks, turning back to watch me.

"I don't understand," I say carefully, watching this Cassandra for a moment as she paces in front of the door, before turning my attention to Leliana. "What do you want from me?"

"Do you remember what happened? How this began?" She asks in return.

"I- The last thing I remember is being chased by... something," I say honestly, frowning and dropping my attention from her as I wrack my mind. I can feel the others focused on my answer as well and Shiv carefully shares the last memory they have from me, before my half of our connection shut them out. "There was... A woman, I think, she- something was strange about her."

"A woman?" Leliana asks, a confused frown on her face as she folds her arms.

"She reached out to me, but then..." The memories slip from my grasp, the feelings of panic and fear and pain the only things that linger from the memory and I let the words trail off in confusion.

Leliana watches me curiously for a moment before Cassandra steps in front of her and motions her back to the door. "Go to the forward camp, Leliana," Cassandra said, turning slightly to meet my confused gaze. "I will take her to the Rift."

Leliana watches me for a second longer before nodding and leaving. I can feel Shiv watching her exit attentively as Cassandra approaches me again.

She crouches down and unshackles me. "… What _did_ happen?" I ask tentatively, rubbing the tender skin of my wrists as she meets my eyes before pulling me to my feet.

"It... Will be easier to show you." Her voice is sad and tired and makes me look up at her sharply, my eyes pinching with worry. Her expression hardens though and she almost harshly ties my wrists together with rope before proceeding me out of the room.

Kasten assures me that the knots she tied would be nearly effortless to free me from and I follow her steps, only somewhat reluctantly.

Leading me outside I finally get my first look at the horror that they're calling the Breach. The others quickly share their memories of it suddenly opening, and the various perspectives manage to make it all the more terrifying.

I stare up at it as Cassandra informs us that it leads into the Fade, particularly horrifying Hawke, Helaina and Aster, and also Shiv to a lesser extent with that particular knowledge.

"Unless we act, the Breach may grow until it swallows the world." With those horrifying words the terror in reference suddenly pulses and bursts angrily, green lightning seems to shoot out of it and we suddenly find ourselves shouting in pain and falling to our knees as a similar burst occurs in my palm, an indescribable pain stealing most of my senses from me for a moment as it crackles and hisses.

Cassandra drops to a knee in front of me, actually looking sympathetic to my obvious pain as I unconsciously curl in on myself.

"Each time the Breach expands your Mark spreads," she says, not unkindly for once. "And it is killing you."

The pained tremors rocking my body that I hadn't noticed until then cease as my entire body goes stiff with dread.

"What?" Eight voices ask in unison, my own voice dead in my throat as my eyes raise to meet hers in shock.

"It may be the key to stopping this, but there isn't much time," she says, her expression hardening into determination.

"If-" I have to swallow down the bile that tries to follow my words out before I can speak. "If that's true, and I _can_ use this thing to stop this, will I live through it?"

She watches me wordlessly for a moment before helping me stand. "We have no way of knowing."

I let Cassandra and the others direct me along for the most part, shock blanketing my head in a fog, making everything feel like it was suddenly moving forward at an unnatural speed.

The Conclave had exploded, the Chantry's leader was dead along with everyone else that had attended, all except me. Now the people that remained in Haven had decided that meant I responsible for whatever had happened.

I barely even reacted when Cassandra pulled a small knife and cut the ropes that bound me, blinking down at my freed hands before looking up to meet her gaze.

Kasten scoffed at her promise of a trial, and Leo looked pained.

The next time I collapsed from a pulse Cassandra was already at my side before I had even fought my way through the pain, her voice surprisingly gentle as she helped me to my feet.

Despite the cold climate sweat beaded on my brow and neck, my hands and legs trembled from the aftershocks of the pain, and I managed to meet her eyes with a resigned nod and pained grimace as we started forward again.

"How did I survive the blast?" My mouth produced the question, but it was Silas that asked it, stepping in to keep me moving forward.

"They said you... Stepped out of a rift, then fell unconscious," Cassandra said, face pinched with confusion of her own.

I was thrust back to my senses when the bridge we were walking over exploded, sending us tumbling to the ground as another shot of green crashed a few yards ahead of us, spitting out a Shade.

"Stay behind me!" Cassandra yelled, pulling her shield off her back and drawing her sword as she charged it.

I stepped back in alarm as another creature rose from the ground in front of me. I frantically searched my surroundings for something that could be used as a weapon and spotted a greatsword sticking out of a ruined crate behind me.

I let Gale step forward to take up the weapon, I knew I had the strength enough to use it for a time, but I had none of the training. Unless I found a sword and shield like Cassandra wielded I would have to let Gale fight this battle for me.

At the moment I was more than okay with that. I stood back with the others as Gale swung the weapon towards the Shade, taking a decent slice out of it before it could retreat. He smoothly dispatched it in only a few swift moves, not giving it the chance to retaliate, and as it disappeared we looked up to see Cassandra marching back towards us.

"It's over," Gale and I both said tandem before I stepped forward again, the tip of the greatsword rested on the ground as I panted, the strain of using a weapon I was unfamiliar with catching up with me.

Cassandra suddenly leveled her blade at me, making me take a step back as my eyes widened in surprised.

"What the fuck!" Shiv and Kasten both exclaimed.

"Drop your weapon," Cassandra barked, taking another step towards me. "Now!"

"Alright!" I yelled, letting the weapon clatter to the ground, as I held my palms out from my sides as non-aggressively as I could. "What the fuck?"

Crazy fucking shem.

"A demon attacked me! Would you rather I had just stood there and let it?!" My frayed nerves and stress were finally catching up to me it seemed, because I could feel anger and annoyance flaring violently in me.

Her weapon stayed trained on me as she responded, clearly not trusting me. " _You_ don't need to fight!"

"Are you saying it won't happen again?" I asked, scoffing and pointedly looking up towards the swirling green hole in the sky.

She glared at me for a moment longer before sighing in resignation. "You're right," she said reluctantly, sheathing her longsword again. "I cannot protect you, and I cannot expect you to be defenseless... Your life is threatened enough as it is."

There was something like pity in her last words, but also a clear reminder of the position I was in.

I was right to assume that we would face similar fights again, and after the second I just let Gale continue on in my stead. My muscles shaking and aching enough that I almost dropped the greatsword when I stepped back in, unused to bearing its weight.

When we reached the rift there were already demons and soldiers fighting, as well as an elvhen mage and a dwarf that made us all do a double-take before refocusing on the fighting. All of us except for Silas, who kept a close eye on him as he fired his crossbow.

Giving Gale enough warning at one point that he could intercede on a blow aimed for the man's head, who turned his eyes up towards us in curiosity before nodding gratefully.

When the last demon fell the mage raced up to us and grabbed our marked hand, startling us enough that we dropped our weapon.

"Quickly! Before more come through!" He yelled, thrusting our hand up towards the rift.

A burst of green suddenly and painfully shot out of our hand towards the rift, when it made contact they both hissed and pulsed, and the rift seemed to expand for a moment before with a snap it sealed closed.

When he let go Gale stepped back and I turned to stare at him incredulously.

"What did you just do?"

" _I_ did nothing, the credit is yours." He deflected my question, gesturing towards me with a small pleased smile.

"You mean the mark?"

"Whatever magic opened the breach in the sky also placed that mark upon your hand," he said, going into an explanation of his theories that I honestly wasn't clearheaded enough to really hear.

I mostly tuned he and Cassandra out as I stared at the green slice through my palm, flickering almost gently, even as I could still feel pulses of pain every few moments.

I only perked up again when Silas nudged me excitedly, hearing a familiar kind of snark.

"Varric Tethras – Rogue, storyteller, and occasionally, unwelcome tagalong." His introduction made me feel a little less overwhelmed, glad to see a friendly face, even if he had no idea who I was.

"Unwelcome?" I asked.

"Technically I'm a prisoner, just like you," he said nonchalantly, casually adjusting his gloves.

The answer made alarm flare in Silas and I, our eyes darting to Cassandra as she rebuked him, making us relax a little when we knew he was mostly here because he wanted to be.

"Uh, that's a... nice crossbow you have there," I said awkwardly, gesturing towards Bianca. The part of me that _knew_ Varric wanted to drop to my knees and just hug him, which Silas definitely seconded, but he didn't know _me_.

He made his standard over-exaggerated moon-eyes at Bianca and I smiled a little at the familiarity.

He and Cassandra argued over his accompanying them for a moment, before he ultimately won with a disgusted sound from Cassandra as she walked off a few feet.

"My name is Solas, if there are to be introductions," the mage – Solas – said. "I am pleased to see you still live."

"He means 'I kept that mark from killing you while you slept.'" Varric corrected cheerily.

"Well, thank you for that, I generally prefer being alive than swallowed by the strange green hole in my hand," I said, uncomfortable but grateful. "My name is Verannii."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Please feel free to leave a comment, I always reply and they make my week! ^^
> 
> Let me know if you see any spelling/grammar errors, and especially any cases of me slipping into 3rd person (1st is hARD), because I wrote all of this in like two days with a cold and all at like 2-3AM in the morning so yeah.
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at [ElvhenWitch](http://www.elvhenwitch.tumblr.com) otherwise, I hope you guys are having a good time out there! ♥


	2. Part 2

I stayed a bit more present after all of that, though for the most part I still let Gale handle things in combat. 

"You are Dalish, but clearly away from the rest of your clan," Solas said at one point, walking alongside me. "Did they send you here?" 

"You know of the Dalish?" I asked in surprise, knowing that an unfortunate number of elves believed us little more than fables. Leo cast me a remorseful look. 

"I have wandered many roads in my time, I crossed paths with your people on more than one occasion." 

"'Crossed paths'? Your tone seems to imply an unpleasant encounter." 

He inclined his head somewhat. "I offered to share knowledge, only to be attacked for no greater reason than their superstition," he said bitterly. 

"Can't you elves just play nice for once," Varric muttered. Silas and I suspected he was thinking of Merril and her clan. 

"I... Am sorry that your encounter with my people led to that," I said tentatively, earning a seemingly surprised glance from Solas. "I won't try to defend their actions, whoever the clan was, but it's an unfortunate truth for many clans that they view city elves and the like much the same as shemlen." 

He looked to consider my words before tentatively nodding his acceptance. 

"I am not my clan's Keeper, but if you were still willing to share your knowledge I would gladly hear it," I said, offering a small friendly smile. 

He looked contemplative as he watched me a moment. "What if the knowledge was something you did not care for, or something that contradicted the histories your people have scavenged?" 

It was my turn to contemplate his words, walking beside him silently for a time. I tried to think of what Deshanna might say, as well as what my own opinions were, before answering him. 

"… I cannot speak for every clan, but my own is not so stubborn in their beliefs that they would not hear what you have to say," I started slowly, watching the path in front of us as I pieced my words together. I could feel Solas' eyes on me and I was sure Varric was paying close attention, I wasn't sure but I thought Cassandra might be listening as well. "I don't know you and maybe I wouldn't believe you, but I would still listen. My clan is not so prideful that they would just turn away someone wishing to share some knowledge they have of our people. Whether we believed what you said was factual or not, we would still consider it." 

"You believe your Keeper is truly this forward thinking?" He asked. 

I nodded, turning my full attention back to him. "There are some things, information, we have found from long ago that is already somewhat... Other, compared to what most clans believe," I said carefully, not comfortable sharing too much around these strangers. 

Solas looked surprised again but thanked me for my candidness. 

It wasn't long after that conversation that my mark flared violently again, though I managed to bite back most of my pained yelp and only dropped to one knee, rattling my leg as it struck against the rocky ground. 

Cassandra was at my side again as well as Solas this time, both of them helping me back to my feet as I grit my teeth against the burning sensation that was shooting up my arm sporadically. 

"We must hurry, before the mark consumes her," Solas said to the others, watching my hand as I clenched and unclenched it, his face pinched with distress. 

I shook off the pain as best I could and resolutely strode forward with Cassandra, forcing my shoulders back with a pained grimace. 

As we made our way up another set of stone steps Varric spoke up from behind me, drawing Silas' immediate attention. 

"So, _are_ you innocent?" He asked. 

"I don't remember what happened," I said truthfully, watching Cassandra's head turn towards me slightly from the corner of my eye. 

He chuckled humorlessly. "That'll get you every time." 

Silas snorted from beside me. 

"Should've spun a story," he said. 

"That's what _you_ would have done," Cassandra said somewhat disdainfully. 

"It's more believable, and less prone to result in premature execution," Varric snarked back at her with a smirk. Silas was trying to restrain his laughter at Cassandra's unimpressed expression. 

Halfway up the stairs I let Gale take over, stepping back and complaining about not having found a sword and shield instead, rolling my shoulders from the tension of carrying that fucking greatsword for so long. I could still feel the tension of course, but at the moment it was slightly dulled and abstract, giving me a moment to relax as we walked. 

I gratefully stood back with the others as Gale and Cassandra charged at another demon ahead of us, silently sending up a prayer to Andruil that I would find a weapon I was more capable of wielding myself. 

When we next came upon a rift I took Solas' advice and gently nudged Gale aside, finding a spot somewhat out of the path of those fighting, I watched the rift carefully for my opportunity and when it came I moved towards it and held up my palm. 

Nothing happened immediately and from my side Silas nudged my hand curiously, and in my slight distraction some kind of instinct took over and that bright green shoot of light sparked out of my palm. When the rift shifted and pulsed I felt a tug on the magic coming from my hand, following my instincts I closed my fist around the tether that connected us and _pulled_ backwards. With a snap much like the first time, the rift sealed shut and with a brief flare of light disappeared from the air. 

Solas and Varric congratulated my used of the mark as Cassandra had the gates opened for us. 

I fully admit to ignoring the bitchy "Chancellor" that demanded I be swiftly executed, knowing the others would fill me in on anything important, and instead let my focus wander back to the Breach. Frowning as I watched its swirling center, rock and stone held suspended inside it. 

I heard Silas and Helaina theorizing on it, and Aster stepped up to my side to place a comforting arm around my shoulders, I desperately wanted to acknowledge the gesture but I was well aware of the eyes on me. 

Shiv and I snorted at Cassandra's jabs at the man, and we both begrudgingly admitted that we sort of admired the crazy shem. Silently of course. 

"What about the giant crazy hole in the sky?!" I let Nessi snap at the man after we all got tired of his bitching, gesturing broadly towards Breach. 

" _You_ brought this on us in the first place!" He yelled at me. "Call a retreat, Seeker." 

I rolled my eyes at his theatrics. 

"We can stop this before it's too late!" Cassandra insisted. 

I was just getting ready to intervene on their bickering about paths when the Breach flared again. I yelped in surprise, gripping my wrist in pain, but actually managed to stay on my feet for once. 

As the green somewhat faded again tremors still rocked my hand, and I could feel the Chancellor glaring at me accusingly. I looked up and met Cassandra's gaze as she watched me grit my way through the pain. 

"How do you think we should proceed?" She asked after a moment. 

I stared at her in surprise. "You're asking for _my_ opinion now?" 

"You have the mark," Solas said, as if that should make it obvious. 

"And you are the one we must keep alive," Cassandra added. 

I shook my head in some disbelief, darting my eyes over to Leliana but her expression gave nothing away. Shiv whistled lowly, impressed with her poker face. 

"… I say we take the mountain path," I say decisively. "We all know what's at stake, let's work together." 

Cassandra quickly made plans with Leliana for those left in the Valley, and the Chancellor watched us disdainfully, only speaking again as we left. 

"On your head be the consequences, Seeker," he said ominously. 

I turned in time to see a flicker of self-doubt cross her face before steely determination hardened her features. 

~ 

The trek up was hard and exhausting, and I could feel everything I'd gone through since the explosion catching up with me. 

Cassandra's assurances that we were nearly there did nothing to reassure me, my cluster and I worried that I wasn't strong enough to handle this. Just closing the rifts had made me feel wiped, and I had found nothing to replace the monstrous greatsword with, leading to my arms beginning to feel like jelly, no matter how much experience Gale shared with me. 

I might have the strength to wield the damn thing for a time, but no amount of muscles would make up for the fact that my body had none of the training for its continued use. I curse myself again for not asking after something else at the bridge, a bow or a shortsword or really anything that wasn't two-handed at this point, fuck I'd happily play a rogue right now over a great weapon fighter. 

These fucking ladders were not helping the situation. 

Inside the tunnel were far more enemies than we'd faced before then and I had to admit I wasn't nearly as much help in the fights as I had been. I stayed back unless something advanced towards me or my allies started getting overwhelmed, and even those short fights left me panting and my arms shaking. 

It was Varric that finally approached me after the end of a fight, of course. 

"You uh, doing okay there?" He asked as I straightened up at his approach, trying to suppress the tremors in my limbs. "Is the thing in your hand rearing up again?" 

"No, it's fine," I said, but Silas urged me forward, insisting that Varric would be able to keep an eye out for something more suitable as well if I told him. I sighed and let my posture slouch a bit again. "It's the greatsword, I don't know if I can keep going like this." 

He rose a brow. "Not your usual style I take it?" 

"No, it was just the only thing I could find in the moment, I'm not exactly in a position to be picky," I said, wiping some of the sweat off my brow and tiredly pushing some of the damp hair back from my forehead. "I usually use a sword and shield, like the Seeker, or even a bow." 

While Cassandra was drinking a healing potion and wiping off her blade, and Solas was poking around the area, I took the short downtime to pull the tie out of my messy hair and roughly drag my fingers through the blond snarls, before gathering it back up and re-braiding the whole mess. 

"Shit, no wonder you look tired." He seemed vaguely impressed. "Tell you what, I'll keep my eyes open for anything a little less... Taller than you." 

I laughed, earning a smile from Varric, nodding gratefully to him. "Thank you Varric, I would appreciate that." 

Standing back up straight and hoisting the sword into the makeshift holder I'd found I followed Varric and the others through the tunnel. 

~ 

After a particularly daunting encounter with a rift that spit out a terror demon I watched Cassandra and Varric approach the soldiers we'd come across from the corner of my eye, dropping the greatsword to the ground as I let myself bend at the waist, bracing my hands on my knees as I heaved in deep breaths. 

"Sealed, as before. You are becoming quite proficient at this," Solas said appreciatively, coming to stand next to me as I turned my head to up to look at him. 

"That's nice." I just barely managed not to gasp the words. 

"Let's hope it works on the big one," Varric said, walking back over towards us. When I looked in his direction I saw he carried a sword in his hands. 

"With thanks from the soldiers," he said when he noticed my attention, holding the weapon out for me. "... Some of them no longer had need for their weapons. No shields though, I'm afraid." 

I nodded in understanding at his words, straightening up with a protesting pop from my shoulders, I took the blade from him. "Thank you Varric, I'll be much better off with this, I- I'm not sure how much longer I could have kept up with the greatsword." 

Solas looked vaguely curious but didn't say anything. "The path ahead appears to be clear of demons." 

"Let's hurry, before that changes," Cassandra said, walking past us. 

Some time of walking and yet more _fucking ladders_ we finally reached what remained of the Temple of Sacred Ashes, a horrifying thing filled with rubble and still burning fires, and nearly countless bodies. 

" _That_ is where you walked out of the Fade and our soldiers found you," Cassandra said quietly, coming to stand beside me. "They say a woman was in the rift behind you. No one knows who she was." 

Neither did I, for that matter. 

We all silently walked deeper into the ruins, and I tried not to show how unnerved I was. Gale and Helaina squeezed my shoulders reassuringly before falling in step at my back with the others. 

~ 

Stepping into the what remained of the Temple proved just as horrific as the rest, if for a slightly different reason. I found my gaze helplessly drawn towards the massive rift in the center, leading all the way up to the even more massive Breach in the sky. 

My stomach dropped and my heart spike as Varric commented on its height. 

"You're here. Thank the Maker." Leliana suddenly rushed in from the way we'd come. 

"Leliana, take your men and set up positions around the Temple," Cassandra said, before coming to stand in front of me, pulling my attention down from the Breach. "This is your chance to end this. Are you ready?" 

I looked at her for a moment before looking around the Temple again, at the soldiers that now stood about, and then back up at the swirling vortex above our heads. 

"No, not even slightly. But what the fuck, right?" I said blithely, some of Silas' mannerisms slipping through as he stood at my right shoulder, holding my hand and chuckling. Varric echoed his laughter while Cassandra briefly closed her eyes and sighed. "I have no idea how I'm supposed to get up there though." 

"No. This rift was the first, and it is the key," Solas said firmly, sharply drawing my attention to him. "Seal it, and perhaps we seal the Breach." 

"Then let's find a way down," Cassandra said, already looking around. "And be careful." 

We started making our way around, searching for a safer place to climb down to the rift, but we all froze when a loud echoing male voice rang out through the air. 

" _Now is the hour of our victory._ " 

We all looked around in alarm but saw nothing. 

" _Bring forth the sacrifice._ " 

"What are we hearing?" Cassandra asked nervously. 

"At a guess, the person who created the Breach," Solas said grimly. 

I froze again at the sight of the red lyrium growing out of the wall, my jaw actually dropping open a little as my eyes widened. Varric was similarly disgusted as he questioned its existence, scoffing. 

"It's evil," he said firmly. "Whatever you do, don't touch it." 

"Happily," I muttered, a shudder going down my spine. I felt unnerved. 

" _Keep the sacrifice still._ " 

The voice echoed out again, before a woman's rang out through the Temple, her Orlesian accent giving us all pause. 

" _Someone_ _help_ _me!_ " 

"That is Divine Justinia's voice!" Cassandra exclaimed, her eyes wide and surprised. 

Finding a somewhat safe path down I jumped the last few feet to the bottom, stepping towards the rift with apprehension. My hand sparked and jolted with the proximity, but I suppressed the pain with a grunt. My attention was swiftly pulled back up by a familiar voice. 

" _What's going on here?_ " My own voice asked. 

"That was you voice, Most Holy called out to you. But..." Cassandra started, her eyes wide with surprise. Probably about as wide as my own. 

Our attention was quickly grabbed by the rift sparking and shifting as a bright light burst from it, blinding us all momentarily before shadowy figures suddenly emerged from the magic. 

The scene showed the Divine, held by some kind of magic, telling me to run and warn them. My eyes are pulled to a true shadow figure, who's eyes only burn of red flames but speaks with the same voice we'd first heard. 

" _We have an intruder._ " The voice said, taking an ominous step towards the version of myself the vision showed. " _Kill her. Now!_ " 

With that ominous command the magic flared bright again, and the scene disappeared. 

"You _were_ there!" Cassandra exclaimed, staring at me. "Who attacked? And the Divine, is she...? Was this vision true? What are we seeing?" 

I know bits and pieces from the others' memories, but their connection to me was closed off shortly after I entered the room, and my own memory is empty of all of this. The mages in my cluster quietly theorize behind me that whatever magic opened the Breach must have fucked with the magic that bound us to each other. 

"I don't know, I don't remember!" I tell her. 

"Echoes of what happened here," Solas says cryptically, drawing both Cassandra and I's annoyed attention. "The Fade bleeds into this place." 

"Oh shit," Silas says eloquently. 

"This rift is not sealed, but it is closed... Albeit temporarily," Solas said, turning to watch Cassandra storm up to him. I made a more reluctant pace myself, as my mark flared and fizzled angrily the closer I got. "I believe that with the mark, the rift can be opened, and then sealed properly and safely. However, opening the rift will likely attract attention from the other side." 

"Demons," Aster and Helaina said grimly, at the same time Cassandra shouted; "That means demons. Stand ready!" 

From there we each moved into position and with Cassandra's nod I reached my hand up and attempted to do the reverse of what I had done up until that point. I tore the rift open with a violent shattering sound and with it a spark of light shot out from it, forming the shape of a massive pride demon that dropped to the ground and triggered Cassandra's call of attack. 

I was suddenly very grateful I had a weapon I knew how to use, and also mourning the loss of a weapon sized more for a beast that size. 

The battle proved chaotic and frenzied, running from place to place to avoid the beast's attacks, taking every opening available to slice at it as viciously as possible, constantly darting away to try and disrupt the rift, fighting the smaller creatures that came through. 

It seemed like every time I used the mark the more painful it was, near the end of the fight there was a moment where I nearly dropped my sword as the pain shook through my body, pulling a scream from my throat as I dropped to one knee. My body spasmed painfully, but I kept the connection as I heard the demon laugh menacingly, until it abruptly cut off as the rift spasmed violently. 

It seemed as if the fight lasted hours before I heard Cassandra yell for me to finally close the rift. 

I wasn't doing well, I could barely hold my sword I was shaking so hard, I was bleeding from numerous places on my body including my nose and right ear and one of my eyes I thought, unless the blood was coming from the wound on my forehead. The tie in my hair had been snagged by a shade and now my hair was hanging lose around my face, I was pretty sure I had _at least_ sprained my left wrist, which had made dealing with the rift even more painful, and I was almost positive at least one side of my ribcage had been seriously fucked up when the pride demon had backhanded me and sent me flying across the field. 

I felt somewhat similar to when Silas had fought the Arishok, except it had been long enough that all of the adrenaline had already faded, I was absolutely exhausted but I managed to push myself up from the prone position I had been knocked into and limp towards the rift. 

Lifting my arm felt like the hardest thing I'd ever done in that moment. 

"Do it!" Cassandra yelled just before the mark connected with the rift. 

I grimaced at the immediate indescribable pain that crashed through my body waves, gritting my teeth against it as I let my sword fall from my hand and used it to help keep my left arm up. I pushed forward a step, barely suppressing the pained whimper that clawed up my throat, focusing entirely on closing the rift in front me. 

With a thunderous _clap!_ The rift closed and green light shot up through the sky and struck the Breach like a bolt of lightning. 

And that was the last thing I saw before my eyes rolled back and I hit the ground. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Please feel free to leave a comment, I always reply and they make my week! ^^
> 
> Let me know if you see any spelling/grammar errors, and especially any cases of me slipping into 3rd person (1st is hARD), because I wrote all of this in like two days with a cold and all at like 2-3AM in the morning so yeah.


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